Benjamin Netanyahu Overplayed Hand in Talks With Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett

January 22 was not a good day for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it could have been far worse. The 2013 parliamentary elections meant that for the first time in his long political career, he would be leading the largest in the Knesset. Though his joint Likud-Beitenu list won only 31 seats — around 23% of the vote — Israel’s center-left was fractured and it always appeared certain that Bibi would keep his job.

After all, despite his party’s underwhelming performance, there appeared to be two options for coalitions he could easily form. The so-called “right-wing bloc” made of rightist, religious nationalist, and ultra-Orthodox parties had won 61 seats, enough to form the narrowest of governments. Alternatively, Netanyahu could have formed a government of 64 with little effort, as the centrist Yesh Atid and Kadima parties seemed eager to enter a coalition with Likud-Beitenu and the national religious HaBayit HaYehudi as long as the Prime Minster would make military enlistment reform a priority.

This 64-seat core coalition, with perhaps one other party, seemed the most obvious option. Within days, informal discussions between Netanyahu and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, whose party came in second with 19 seats, appeared to confirm that a coalition was soon to be formed along these lines, perhaps even in record time.

But today, more than a month after the election, Likud-Beitenu has yet to sign a coalition agreement with any of the abovementioned parties — and people are now questioning whether any coalition will emerge at all. So what went wrong?

Leaders Fear Livni will Torpedo Levy Report

"Many Land of Israel activists and MKs have publicly expressed concern over Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to give Hatnua head Tzipi Livni control of the diplomatic process. Less attention has been paid to a second concern: that as Justice Minister, Livni will bury the Levy Report."
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/165680#.US4H0_LAGSo

Kerry: Obama plans to 'listen,' not present plan
By REUTERS - 02/26/2013 16:57

""We're not going to go and sort of plunk a plan down and tell everybody what they have to do," Kerry said. "I want to consult and the president wants to listen." Obama, who has a testy relationship with right-wing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, made peace between Israelis and Palestinians a priority in his first term but, four years later, has little to show for it."
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=304600

Team O (O, Kerry, Hagel, Brennan, Malarkey Joe), say one thing but will do another(taking advantage of Netanyahu's internal struggle)?

Delayed Hagel confirmation/Netanyahu delay forming a coalition a set back for "peace and security"?

"Windows, doors are closing".

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." - Rahm Emmanuel

"Land for peace".

Haste makes waste.

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